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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618535">A Helping Hand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misskiku/pseuds/Misskiku'>Misskiku</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bederia Goodness [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Babysitting, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, bederia week 2021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:35:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misskiku/pseuds/Misskiku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bederia Week 2021: Day 1 - First Impressions</p>
<p>Babysitting felt a world and a half away from training Pokemon. All Gloria's skills as the Champion were of no use here- there was no battle to be fought, nothing she could power through with brute force. She had to be delicate. Kind. </p>
<p>She had to figure out how to entertain a toddler when she'd never done anything like this by herself before.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bederia Goodness [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bederia Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Helping Hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Babysitting felt a world and a half away from training Pokemon. All Gloria's skills as the Champion were of no use here- there was no battle to be fought, nothing she could power through with brute force. She had to be delicate. Kind. </p>
<p>She had to figure out how to entertain a toddler when she'd never done anything like this by herself before. The living room was covered end-to-end in an array of miscellaneous toys, from plushies to colourful blocks and toy cars, none of which gave her any ideas for what to do. With Pokemon, they found ways to entertain themselves. She could explore with them. Battle with them. Train them. Even swishing a toy from side to side was a form of training with Pokemon, and the ball she’d lob across the campsite turned into a competition for her Pokemon to see who could retrieve it first. She couldn’t do any of that here- not with little Samuel. Not with his baby sister, Gracie, asleep in the nursery down the hall. Sitting on the carpet next to Samuel, Gloria tried to remember the times she'd accompanied her mother to watch over them. She’d tagged along for the fun of it, not expecting that one day she would find herself babysitting the two of them alone. </p>
<p>And, with Gloria's mother at work, she had no one else to turn too. </p>
<p>Samuel shuffled over to a crudely-made tower of blocks, immediately knocking them over. Gloria pursed her lips, stomach churning, and edged over to him. </p>
<p>"How about we build a tower?" she offered, and slowly began to reassemble the tower. </p>
<p>Samuel watched for a moment. He followed Gloria's movements as she stacked one block on top of another, balancing them precariously as the tower grew taller and taller. Without warning, he shoved the blocks again. </p>
<p>"Hey!" Gloria gasped in shock. "Don't do that, we're trying to build it, not-" </p>
<p>She paled as Samuel whimpered, his face scrunching up, cheeks beginning to flush… </p>
<p>"No, no, that's okay! You can knock it down!" Gloria hurriedly stacked another tower and deliberately toppled it. "See? That's loads of fun!" </p>
<p>Samuel squeaked a precious laugh. "Gen!" he said, staring at the blocks. "Gen!"</p>
<p>"Gen? Oh, you mean 'again?'" </p>
<p>"Gen!" </p>
<p>She could do that. Wrecking the towers Gloria painstakingly constructed was a simple and easy way to keep Samuel entertained- at least, it was for the first dozen or so towers.</p>
<p>"Gen!" Samuel said, his laughter trickling out. "Gen!" </p>
<p>"Again…?" Gloria sighed. </p>
<p>She'd lost count of how many she'd made - not that she'd been keeping track in the first place - and it had quickly become monotonous for her. How it still managed to amuse Samuel was beyond her. </p>
<p>"Why don't we do something else? Look, Mr Wooloo wants to play with us, too-" </p>
<p>She turned around to grab the Wooloo plush when Samuel let out a whine. </p>
<p>"Gen!" </p>
<p>"But I've already built a ton of towers-"</p>
<p>"Gen!" His whine turned into a wail. "Gen! Gen! Gen!" </p>
<p>"Okay, okay, okay!" Wooloo plush thrown to the side, Gloria snatched the blocks off the carpet and stacked them for Samuel once more. "There, another tower!" </p>
<p>He knocked it over with glee, bubbling with laughter as the tower collapsed. His smile was so innocent and happy, Gloria couldn't help but stack tower after tower for him to knock down. As boring as it was, it kept Samuel occupied and - more importantly - content. She made another for him, and retrieved her drink bottle from her bag in the meantime. The tower collapsed, and Samuel burst into a fit of giggles as the blocks bounced left and right over the carpet. </p>
<p>His enjoyment was so simple, it made Gloria smile. She didn't understand what was so amusing about a tower of blocks falling over, but Samuel's laughter was sweet, his smile adorable, and she shucked off any grievances she had about repetitively making towers for him to knock over. It was worth it if it made him happy. </p>
<p>Soon enough, Gloria found ways to keep herself entertained as she made tower after tower for Samuel. She began adding different things to the tower- first, she placed the Wooloo plush on top out of sheer boredom. The blocks collapsed by themselves, and Samuel shrieked a laugh. When she went to build the next one, she stuck a toy car on top. Then the square-shaped toy ambulance in the middle of the next tower. Each odd addition made Samuel laugh, from the Rolycoly figure that wouldn't balance by itself, to the Wooloo plush Gloria placed on top of her head. He cackled when the Wooloo fell off Gloria's head, and she held back a snort of laughter. </p>
<p>
  <em>Perhaps looking after Samuel wouldn't be so bad after all. </em>
</p>
<p>A slowly building cry reached Gloria's ears. She'd spoken - well, thought - too soon. Gracie had woken up. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told Gloria that it was well under the hour or two Mrs Jones had expected her daughter to sleep for. She got to her feet, swallowing her trepidation, and made for Gracie's room. </p>
<p>"I'll be back in a second," she told Samuel, "I'm just going to grab Gracie." </p>
<p>A whine followed her, silenced beneath the disgruntled cries coming from Gracie. Gloria braced herself before opening the door to the nursery, and was hit with a wall of noise. Gracie, still swaddled in her blanket and lying on her front, screamed for all her tiny lungs were worth. The tremendous volume that came from such a little girl was unbelievable, and Gloria had to stop herself from flinching as she swept the squirming baby out of her cot. </p>
<p>"Hey, hey, it's okay," Gloria cooed, holding Gracie close to her chest and patting her back. "I'm here, you're alright."</p>
<p>She didn't know what else to say, what else to do, and dug through her memories to try and recall what her mother had done in situations like this. </p>
<p>The scream doubled in volume. No, that wasn't right- there was an echo now. A scream by her ear, another by her leg. Samuel had followed her, and was matching Gracie's efforts with his own wail. He planted his face against Gloria's leg, arms wrapped tightly around her, and howled. </p>
<p>Gloria's head spun. She tried to step towards the door, barely able to move and completely unbalanced by Samuel clinging to her. Both her hands were occupied by holding Gracie up. She had nothing to spare to calm Samuel, or even to try and pry him away from her leg so she could move more than an inch at a time. </p>
<p>"Samuel, what's wrong?" she asked, speaking over Gracie's cries in her ear with a grimace. "Hey?" </p>
<p>She couldn't kneel down with him stuck to her like a Komala on a log, and was paralyzed with one foot through the door. Despite everything in her body telling her not to, she forced the leg that Samuel was holding onto forward, tugging herself out of his grip. It made him scream louder, but Gloria had no choice. She hurried back to the lounge with Samuel howling at her heels. </p>
<p>"Look, look, we're back. I'll build you a tower again!" She knelt by the blocks, Gracie still crying against her front, and balanced the wailing baby on her lap so she had a free hand to stack blocks with. </p>
<p>Samuel stood, unbudging in the doorway, and cried. </p>
<p>"Sammy? Look, I've made a tower for you!" </p>
<p>He wasn't looking. </p>
<p>"Come on, I had to get Gracie up!" she pleaded with him, and resumed patting Gracie's back in a soothing rhythm when Samuel refused to look at her. "Shh, shh, it's okay," she said to Gracie. </p>
<p>Her head throbbed. Ears ringing. </p>
<p>Wait, no- that was her phone. </p>
<p>
  <em>Now, of all times?! </em>
</p>
<p>In a split second of panic, she wondered if it was Mrs Jones calling to see how things were.</p>
<p>Gloria wanted to scream. She overpowered the urge to throw her own tantrum and tugged her phone out of her pocket. On the screen, accompanied by a candid photo of him taken in the Wild Area, was Bede's name. </p>
<p>
  <em>Bede?! </em>
</p>
<p>She almost didn't answer it, wincing beneath the onslaught of cries piercing her ears, and decided she needed to brush Bede off quickly so he wouldn't call again. Distractions were the last thing she needed right now. </p>
<p>Gloria hiked Gracie higher in her arms and answered the call, her Rotom phone hovering by her ear. </p>
<p>"Sorry, Bede! Now's not a good time," she said quickly, and shuffled on her knees over to Samuel. "I'm kind of... in the middle of something!" </p>
<p>She patted Gracie's back in a firm, steady rhythm, trying to sooth Samuel at the same time by wiggling the Wooloo plush with her other hand. </p>
<p>"I can certainly hear that," came Bede's voice in her ear, drowned out by the cries in the room. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" </p>
<p>Gloria bit her bottom lip, the lump in her throat tightening in shame. Her inadequacy was crushing, dragging her heart into the pit of her stomach, and she didn't need, or want, Bede to find out. </p>
<p>She felt like a failure. </p>
<p>"Shh, shh, Gracie. Shh..." Gloria murmured, well aware that Bede could hear her, and kept trying to comfort the crying baby in her arms. Gracie hiccuped and whimpered, burying her face in Gloria's shirt. "There, there." </p>
<p>Samuel's wails got louder as Gracie's softened, and Gloria wished she had more arms to spare. She could only comfort one child at a time. </p>
<p>She could only talk to one person at a time. </p>
<p>"Look, Bede- I have to go," she said. Forced the words out. Pushed him away. "I've got my hands full right now." </p>
<p>Despite the throbbing of her heart, the need not to be alone. </p>
<p>"Sounds like you could do with some assistance." </p>
<p>Her brain short-circuited. "I- What?" </p>
<p>"I happen to have some spare time on my hands, so if you require some help-" </p>
<p>"Please!" Tears pricked her eyes. She held Gracie tighter, ready to crumble to the floor herself as her pride shattered, as her voice wobbled. "Please…" </p>
<p>A pause. </p>
<p>"Tell me where you are and I'll be there as soon as I can." </p>
<hr/>
<p>Bede hung up, immediately calling a Sky Taxi for Wedgehurst. He exhaled a heavy sigh and dragged a hand through his hair as his racing heart began to settle. </p>
<p>That was not how he'd expected that call to go. The script he'd spent all morning preparing, the words he'd gone over again and again in his mind, had flown out the window the second Gloria had answered. Cries loud enough to make him flinch had wiped his brain clean. Desperation hidden in the Champion's voice had turned his attention away from the reason he'd called in the first place. </p>
<p>He couldn't very well ask her <em>that</em> when she was struggling enough for it to reveal itself in her voice. And, for a moment, it sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. </p>
<p>Bede climbed into the Sky Taxi as soon as it landed in Ballonlea, and repeated to the driver the address Gloria had given him for a house in Wedgehurst. His heart sank in trepidation as they took off. The question lingering on his tongue could wait- he would swallow it down for her until whatever was going on in that house was under control. </p>
<p>To reign in his desires was simple enough when it came to Gloria. For her, he would. </p>
<p>In the meantime, he had other things to worry about. Mainly, the screams of children he'd heard during his call with Gloria. He could only begin to imagine what was going on in that house, and hoped he'd arrive in time to prevent the chaos from getting any worse.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Gloria's heart lifted when she heard swift knocking on the front door. </p>
<p>"It's unlocked!" she called, hopefully loud enough to be heard over Samuel's tantrum. He refused to calm down, and Gracie was beginning to grizzle in her arms. She wouldn't stay put, squirming this way and that, and had taken to sucking on Gloria's shirt in her frustration. </p>
<p>The door swung open, and Bede strode into the lounge, his eyes widening at her. Gloria's breath caught. She stiffened beneath his gaze, waiting for his judgement in the form of a snarky comment, for him to scoff at her predicament. He said nothing, and walked over to her in silence. </p>
<p>"Here." He reached for Gracie and said, "give her to me." His eyes lingered on Gloria's for the moment it took for her to relinquish the baby to him. </p>
<p>He hefted Gracie into his arms and pulled her out of the blanket. He began to bounce her in a way Gloria had seen her own mother do in the past. </p>
<p>"Seems like she's hungry," Bede said, raising an eyebrow at the wet stain of slobber on Gloria's shirt. Gracie mouthed at Bede's Gym uniform shirt, as if to confirm his suspicions. </p>
<p>Gloria blinked, her brain taking a few seconds to catch up to reality, and she nodded. </p>
<p>"There's- uh, a note. In the kitchen." It was difficult to speak beneath her shock. "Her bottle's in the fridge." </p>
<p>"Alright. Leave that to me, then." He turned on his heels, Gracie having quietened completely in his arms, and made for the kitchen. "In the meantime, try making some faces and noises at him," Bede suggested, glancing over his shoulder at Samuel, who was now crying on the floor again. "The weirder, the better. I think you'd be good at that." </p>
<p>Gloria frowned at Bede, pursing her lips in confusion, before signing. He seemed to have a knack with Gracie, and she had little pride left to spare after failing spectacularly at babysitting, and so she wandered over to Samuel and sat beside him. </p>
<p>
  <em>But… to make faces at him…? </em>
</p>
<p>Gloria quickly made sure she was out of Bede's line of sight, and took a deep breath. </p>
<p>
  <em>Here goes nothing…</em>
</p>
<p>"Hey, Samuel. Look at this!" </p>
<p>Samuel sniffled and peeked up at her. His eyes fixed on Gloria's face. He blinked. Sniffled again, and then laughed. He pulled himself off the floor as Gloria smooshed her cheeks, poking her tongue out at the same time, and made whatever weird noises she could. </p>
<p>And it worked. Samuel laughed.</p>
<p>"What about this?" </p>
<p>Gloria dragged her palms down the sides of her face, pulling her cheeks and curling her lips into another strange expression. Again, he laughed. It wasn't long before Samuel had no tears left to shed. The room descended into amicable silence, into peace, and Gloria found that she could breathe again. She sighed, releasing the pent up tension in her chest all at once. </p>
<p>It was a miracle. No, more than that- Bede had worked some sort of magic. His mere presence had settled the torrent of nerves in her gut, and he'd known just what to do to calm Gracie down, picking up on the fact that she was hungry as well, and his suggestion for Gloria to pull faces at Samuel had worked like a charm. He'd gotten too much right for her to put it down to chance. This was more than luck. More than a good guess- Bede had experience with children. </p>
<p>He'd floored her completely. It was so unexpected, she didn't know where to start in order to comprehend what had happened. The chaos she'd been struggling under had lifted in an instant when Bede arrived. She sat on the carpet next to Samuel, pretending that the Wooloo plush was making weird noises and not her, with her gaze continuously drifting to the kitchen. Swift footsteps, the click of the fridge door, and the trickle of running water came from the room beyond what she could see. Her heart thumped warmly in her chest as her mind conjured images to fit the sounds that reached her. </p>
<p>She wanted to see, wanted to watch, Bede in action. This was a side to him she'd never seen before, and it set something fluttering away in her lungs. He never ceased to amaze her in ways she wouldn't have imagined when they first met. Who knew that the snobby, arrogant boy that had acted like everyone else was beneath him was hiding such skills? There were so many layers to Bede, so much she still didn't know. He continuously shattered the shallow first impression she'd had of him again and again, from their first battle, to meeting on the pitch in front of the world, to him leaving his past behind and taking up the role of the Fairy Gym Leader. </p>
<p>Bede had turned out to be so much more than she'd given him credit for. </p>
<p>Gloria was impressed, and grateful, but more than that- she was awestruck. Speechless in a way that left her breathless. Almost giddy. It made her smile like an idiot to herself. Her heart skipped when Bede returned to the lounge, with Gracie cradled in his arms and a bottle of warm milk in hand. </p>
<p>Arceus, it stole Gloria's breath away. She watched as he stepped over the discarded toys to the couch, and gracefully sank into it without jostling Gracie an inch. He lowered Gracie onto his lap so she rested against his arm, and brought the bottle to her mouth. She latched onto it and began to suckle away eagerly.</p>
<p>"If you keep gawking at me like that, I'm going to take offence," Bede huffed. His eyes lifted to meet Gloria's. She sucked in a sharp breath and snapped her attention back to Samuel. </p>
<p>"Sorry!" she squeaked as her cheeks began to flush. </p>
<p>She'd been staring. <em>Gawking</em>, as Bede had pointed out. How could she help it when he was tending to Gracie so expertly? She was struck once again by how skilled he was with babies, both Pokemon and human. </p>
<p>"I was just surprised, that's all," Gloria said quickly. She nuzzled the Wooloo plush into Samuel's side, making him giggle. "It's like she's your own child or something, with how easily you calmed her down." </p>
<p>"Are you insinuating something?" He raised an eyebrow at her, unamused. </p>
<p>"No!" She flushed darker, darker than before as her heart leapt into her throat. "No, I just mean that you're such a natural with kids, it's- y'know, impressive!" </p>
<p>Gloria breathed a panicked laugh. Coils of embarrassed heat tightens on her cheeks, and she knew she was blushing hard. </p>
<p>"You're way too young to have your own children, for sure." She waved that suggestion off quickly. "Well, I know you're almost eighteen so it's not completely impossible- <em>but that's not the point," </em>Gloria said that last part in a rush, almost stumbling over her words as she realised where her mind was going. </p>
<p>"I just- what I mean is-" She couldn't think past the blood rushing to her head. </p>
<p>"Take a breath, Gloria," Bede said. He cleared his throat, focusing on bottle-feeding Gracie.</p>
<p>Her heart pounded in her ears. Thoughts swirled into a mess in her mind, tangled on the idea of Bede having his own children and the insinuation behind that. She tried to follow his suggestion and catch her breath, to calm herself down in order to clear her muddied thoughts. </p>
<p>"How come you're so good with kids?" Gloria asked instead. </p>
<p>There was no point trying to figure out what she'd been trying to say in the first place, all she could think about was that in the future, perhaps Bede would be doing this with his own child. A baby with platinum blond hair like his, soft curls framing round, pink cheeks. It made her heart ache. </p>
<p>"Your wife will be super lucky…" she mumbled. </p>
<p>Bede coughed. "I don't have a wife." </p>
<p>"Y-You heard that?!" </p>
<p>"You're hardly quiet enough for me <em>not</em> to hear."</p>
<p>"Sorry…!" She peeked over her shoulder at him to see his gaze skip away from her. Pink coloured his cheeks, the sight making Gloria's blood sing through her veins as her breath caught. </p>
<p>Arceus. When he blushed like that, her heart danced something wild in her chest, fluttering and dizzy, and she wanted to fix that image into her mind forever. </p>
<p>It made her want to say something more. </p>
<p>"It's… it's true, isn't it?" Gloria continued, "since you're great at cooking and with kids, you'd make a great husband- unlike me! You've already seen my attempt at babysitting today, and I'm horrible in the kitchen." She laughed briefly at herself. "I'd need someone like you if I was ever going to get married, 'cause I'm hopeless otherwise!" </p>
<p>Bede's eyes shifted back to hers. He held her gaze for a moment of silence, and something unreadable in his expression made her pause. </p>
<p>"Woo woo," Samuel sounded, and Gloria turned to tickle him with the Wooloo plush. </p>
<p>"...Someone like me?" </p>
<p>It was the depth to his voice that stole Gloria's attention back. Bede's words were soft, his tone low and thick, and the intensity in his gaze made the Wooloo plush slip from her fingers when their eyes met. Heat swam behind those violets that pinned her to the spot. </p>
<p>
  <em>What was he saying? </em>
</p>
<p>"Sorry?" Gloria blinked at him. Nerves flittered about in her stomach as though she was missing something. Something that she'd said, something that had happened, and it sent her heart racing. </p>
<p>"You said you'd need <em>'someone like me,'</em> if you were to get married," Bede said slowly.</p>
<p>Silence fell. Gloria couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. There was so much more to his gaze, to his expression, than she'd realised. </p>
<p>"I…" Had she said that? </p>
<p>"Someone like me?" </p>
<p>It was a question. A deeper meaning to those three words. A suggestion. </p>
<p><em>Was there more to it?</em> </p>
<p>An offer? </p>
<p>"It doesn't matter since I'm never getting married anyway," Gloria said quickly. She tore her eyes away from Bede, swallowing the lump in her throat and the rising panic building in her chest. "I promised I wouldn't, and I'm not going to break that." </p>
<p>"You promised?" </p>
<p><em>Shit</em>. </p>
<p>She'd said too much. </p>
<p>Her heart plummeted. It drained the blood from her face, froze the nerves in her stomach, and bled ice through her veins. Chilled her to her core, to the marrow of her bones. </p>
<p>Heavy. </p>
<p>She felt heavy. </p>
<p>"Gloria?"</p>
<p>"Forget I said that." She stood. Turned her back to him. </p>
<p>"Why? Who did you promise that to?" </p>
<p>"I said- <em>forget it!"</em> </p>
<p>Too loud. Hands trembled into fists at her sides as Samuel whimpered. Pain prickled behind her eyes. Tears.</p>
<p>An apology lodged in her throat but she had no voice to give it life. Her lips wobbled. She pressed them tightly together for a moment, forcing her breath down. Held it in her lungs until it burned. </p>
<p>She exhaled it all at once. </p>
<p>"I shouldn't have said anything."</p>
<p>It hurt to speak, to step dangerously close to the precipice of what she'd buried for so long.</p>
<p>Terrified to fall. </p>
<p>"I can't- I don't want to talk about it," she said. The tremor in her voice began to fade. She shook her head, pressed her hands against her face with a breath of shame. "I'm going to the loo." </p>
<p>Gloria hurried away before Bede could reply- if he was going to say anything at all. She shut herself in the bathroom and doused her face in cold water until she could think again, until the shadows receded from her heart. </p>
<p>The promise she'd made years ago had surfaced as it did sometimes, but never had it hurt like this. Like a void had encapsulated her heart. It ached. Something had shifted, and what had been a lifelong promise that she'd always been eager to uphold now felt like a looming wave towering above her, about to crash over her life at any second. To destroy everything. </p>
<p>Gloria swallowed, letting water drip from her face as she measured her breathing. In and out, in and out. </p>
<p>Everything was fine. She was fine. </p>
<p>She wasn't in love with Bede, so there was nothing to worry about. Her promise was still in place, still intact. She hadn't broken anything. </p>
<p>The memory of that night came back to her. Her mother's tears. Being held too tight in trembling arms. Hearing those words, unable to comprehend what it meant, unable to believe it. </p>
<p>
  <em>"He's gone." </em>
</p>
<p>The echo of her mother's voice tightened the knot in Gloria's throat. Droplets of water, of tears, fell from her cheeks. </p>
<p>
  <em>"He's gone… Papa's gone…" </em>
</p>
<p>Air hissed through her teeth. She squeezed her eyes shut to force back the heat building behind her eyes. </p>
<p><em>"I'm here," </em>her own voice replied. Ten years younger, it still sounded like her.<em> "I won't go anywhere. I promise." </em></p>
<p>A simple promise made the trembling stop. </p>
<p><em>"I promise."</em> Those words she would keep. <em>"I'll stay with you forever… no matter what." </em></p>
<p>
  <em>I won't leave you.</em>
</p>
<p>Gloria wiped the water off her face, stealing those memories away. A lingering ache in the hollow of her chest remained, but its blade had dulled. She could endure it. </p>
<p>She had to. </p>
<p>Even if it meant closing off her heart so she would never experience the pain of that day again, she would do it. She saw what it did to her mother. The kind of pain that love brings. </p>
<p>And Gloria wanted none of it. </p>
<hr/>
<p>The air was stiff and awkward in the lounge when Gloria returned. She sat beside Samuel as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't left at all. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that Gracie had finished her bottle and that Bede had propped her up on the couch using the cushions to steady her. She was currently sucking on a ring of brightly coloured plastic keys. </p>
<p>Gloria desperately wanted to break the silence, to say something, anything, but she didn't know where to begin. The weight of her memories remained over her shoulders. She'd snapped at Bede. Regret and shame swallowed her voice, guilt sitting in the back of her throat so she couldn't form any words. </p>
<p>He'd come to help her, gave up his free time out of his own volition, and she'd snapped at him. She couldn't get any more pathetic if she'd tried. </p>
<p>"What have you got there?" Gloria asked Samuel. He pushed a toy car back and forth over the carpet, trying to blow a raspberry between his lips to mimic the sound of the engine. </p>
<p>"Cah!" he said, before returning to his noise making. </p>
<p>Her heart throbbed. She picked up the angular ambulance and pushed it alongside Samuel's car, but her energy was spent. She couldn't fake enthusiasm when her chest felt so heavy. </p>
<p>"How did you end up with these two?" Bede asked. </p>
<p>Gloria looked at him out of reflex, out of surprise. He'd broken the silence so easily, and raised an eyebrow at her curiously. </p>
<p>"They obviously aren't your own children, and I assume you haven't acquired two new siblings in secret… which leads me to believe that you're babysitting for someone else." </p>
<p>She blinked at him, nodding slowly at how succinctly he'd come to the correct conclusion. </p>
<p>"Oh, right. I never explained, did I?" She pursed her lips sheepishly before gesturing to the two young kids. "This is Samuel and Gracie. They're the kids of my mum's friend, Mrs Jones. She needed someone to babysit on short notice since her sister went into labour a week early and there's no one else to take her into hospital. The rest of their family is in Kanto, and her sister's husband is away for work, so…" </p>
<p>Gloria shrugged. "I've helped my mum babysit them in the past, but she's at work, and Mrs Jones really needed someone… I've never looked after them on my own before." </p>
<p>"That much was fairly obvious. It was quite chaotic when I called you, from what I heard." </p>
<p>Gloria scoffed in indignation. "That's only because I had to get Gracie up! She was crying in her room and I had to leave Samuel to get her, and then he started crying too!" </p>
<p>She huffed at Bede, folding her arms in protest, when she spied the slight tilt to the corner of his mouth. It was the barest hint of a smirk. Soft amusement lit up his eyes, and it made Gloria realise what he was doing. Riling her up so she'd bark at him and fall into their natural rhythm. The air that had been suffocatingly thick had eased away, lifting the hold of silence over the atmosphere. Bede had coaxed her into speaking her mind to him again. Into returning to normal. </p>
<p>She sank in surprise, and the heat of her protest died. Finally, she could find the words that she wanted to say. </p>
<p>"Look, Bede, I'm… sorry about what happened before," Gloria said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just… it's a subject I'm not comfortable with. I hadn't meant to say anything about it in the first place, but then…" </p>
<p>She trailed off with a sigh.</p>
<p>"That's alright. I see now that I shouldn't have pressed you about it," Bede said. "I'm sorry about that." </p>
<p>A sliver of pain dug into her heart at his words. </p>
<p>"The promise I made as a kid, it still means a lot to me, and…" She swallowed. Took a breath. "I know most people would probably think it's stupid and ridiculous, and it's hard for me to explain, I haven't told many people about it before-"</p>
<p>Her voice stuck in her throat. </p>
<p>"You don't have to explain," Bede said softly. </p>
<p>"But…" </p>
<p>"If it puts you on the verge of tears to even think about, you don't need to explain it to me." </p>
<p>He'd noticed the tears building in her eyes. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry…" It came out as a whisper, but in the quiet, she knew he'd hear it. </p>
<p>"For what? I can't see that you've done anything wrong here." </p>
<p>"You don't even know why I snapped at you and you're being so kind," Gloria sighed. "I feel like I owe you an explanation, at least." </p>
<p>"Only when you're ready for it." He shrugged and said, "everyone has something they're not comfortable talking about- I don't want you to have to force yourself to explain it to me because you feel like you should." </p>
<p>She nodded slowly. </p>
<p>"Besides, I may have an idea about what it is anyway, so I'm not completely in the dark as to why it upsets you so much." </p>
<p>Gloria blinked at him. He turned his gaze away from her to dangle the drool-coated keys in front of Gracie's grabbing hands. </p>
<p>"You do?" Somehow, the fact that he already knew something about it loosened the jumble of knots in her gut. </p>
<p>Gracie caught the fluorescent green key and tugged it towards her mouth as Bede nodded. </p>
<p>"You've mentioned a thing or two about it previously," he said, "if what I believe you're talking about is correct." </p>
<p>All the bits and pieces she'd let slip in the past. The words that had spilled out in vulnerable moments, hissed under her breath, fragments of pain that had broken through her walls. </p>
<p>He'd remembered them.</p>
<p>"Probably," she said quietly. </p>
<p>How much he knew, how much he'd pieced together, she couldn't tell. Perhaps he'd gotten the wrong idea completely- but knowing Bede, that was more than unlikely.</p>
<p>"Then I don't need to know any more," he said. "If it makes you uncomfortable to speak about, then don't force yourself on my account. I don't need to know every little thing about you in order to be your friend."</p>
<p>His words softened her heart. She filled with warmth, with a sense of peace, and it made her smile. </p>
<p>"Thanks, Bede," she said, tilting her head as she smiled at him. "That's really sweet of you to say." </p>
<p>His expression froze for a split second, and Gloria wondered if she'd said something wrong when he cleared his throat and focused on playing with Gracie, jangling the keys in front of her when they fell from her mouth again. </p>
<p>"How come you're so good with kids?" Gloria asked, realising she'd never got an answer from him when she'd asked previously. </p>
<p>It was like he knew exactly what to do- when to give in and let Gracie grab the keys, when to tug them away from her and keep up the challenge. The self-satisfied look he gave Gloria, the pride glinting in his eyes, made her heart skip. He was so damn attractive even when gloating, and she folded her arms as if that would protect her heart from the influence of his smile. </p>
<p>"This is nothing special," he said, and shrugged. As if his smirk didn't clearly say otherwise. "Just the basics everyone knows, really." </p>
<p>Gloria scoffed, despite the way her chest fluttered from the mirth in his voice. His words dripped with amusement, teasing her and making her heart dance like a puppet on a string, and <em>Arceus</em>, it made her pout at him in return. Protesting how easily she reacted to him, although she found that she didn't dislike how it made her feel. It was a rush, a spark of emotions through her body. Strange and foreign as it was, it wasn't a bad feeling. Not one she hated at all. </p>
<p>If anything, it actually felt pleasant. </p>
<p>"What does that make me, then, if I don't even know the basics?" Gloria said, throwing those words back at him with a huff. "Since <em>everyone knows it?" </em></p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow pointedly at him, not about to let him off that easily without an explanation. </p>
<p>"I may have picked up a thing or two somewhere," Bede said. </p>
<p>"Uh-huh." </p>
<p>She gave him a blank stare. Unimpressed, unbudging. She wanted to know. Her curiosity had built into a fervour, a blooming desire to figure out this secret of Bede's that he was taunting her with. She feigned hurt, and turned back to Samuel. He burst into giggles when she pushed the toy ambulance up his back and let it topple forward off his shoulder. He picked it up and tried to place it where she had to make it fall again. Movement in the corner of her eyes made Gloria turn. Bede sat beside her, laying Gracie down gently on her back on the carpet, and placed the Wooloo plush square on her stomach. He gave the stuffed Pokemon a wiggle, making the legs flop wildly, and Gracie broke into a smile. </p>
<p>It was so unadulteratedly cute to see Bede play with Gracie like that, and Gloria's heart squeezed firmly in her chest as she watched. He glanced at her for the briefest of moments before focusing his attention on the wriggling baby in front of him. Gracie gave a squeak of laughter when he booped her nose with the Wooloo. </p>
<p>Gloria felt giddy just watching him. </p>
<p>"The orphanage was short-staffed at times," Bede began. He spoke while playing with Gracie, not once pulling his attention away from her. She was completely enraptured by the Wooloo plush. "Those of us old enough to take care of ourselves were enlisted to help with the younger children. It was easier to learn how to amuse them than be surrounded by screaming babies all day." </p>
<p>"Oh." She didn't know what else to say. His explanation, his experience, was far from anything she'd imagined, and a wave of guilt crashed over her for trying to drag that out of him. </p>
<p>Especially when he'd been so understanding to her. </p>
<p>"Children are easy enough to amuse. What works for one usually works for another," he said with a shrug, "as long as you aren't too worried about your pride." </p>
<p>He leant over Gracie and blew a raspberry at her, and she laughed. A sweet, innocent laugh that made Gloria want to melt. Her insides were turning into goo. </p>
<p>"You'll pick it up over time, don't worry." Bede turned to Gloria and quickly booped her nose with the Wooloo plush. Samuel laughed, and he received a boop as well. </p>
<p>Gloria bit back her laugh, her lips trembling with mirth. Bede looked so free, so full of life, that she didn't dare laugh - even out of adoration - in case he thought she was laughing <em>at</em> him. She wouldn't risk spoiling the moment. </p>
<p>"You think so?" she asked. </p>
<p>He looked at her, his violet eyes softening with his smile, and said, "of course I do. Anyone can learn how to take care of children, or how to cook. It just takes time- and a bit of advice." </p>
<p>Her mouth twitched into a smile, and without thinking about it, she leant over Gracie as Bede had done, and blew a raspberry of her own. It brought a string of giggles out of Gracie, and Gloria's heart lifted. </p>
<p>"You're a quick study," Bede noted. </p>
<p>She beamed at him in return. "It helps that I've got an expert teacher." </p>
<hr/>
<p>Time passed easier after that. There was no more crying, no more grizzling- Samuel and Gracie were content at last as Gloria fell into a natural pace with Bede. She followed his advice, taking note of the slight difference in the way he played with the two children. Often, they shared silent glances. A smile, a knowing look, as Gloria mimicked the little techniques that Bede used. After a while, he picked Gracie up when she'd had enough of lying on the carpet, and sat her in his lap. She jangled the plastic keys in her hands, happy once more. </p>
<p>Gloria's heart swooned in her chest. Bede was so utterly endearing with the kids, so sweet and kind and adoring that she could hardly take it any more. Her lungs were filled to the brim with delight, and Arceus, she was almost overcome with the desire to hug him. It was impossible to contain how she was feeling. Giddy and breathless and flustered all at once, she focused on making Gracie laugh by playing peekaboo behind the Wooloo plush instead. </p>
<p>Anything to keep her wandering gaze from returning to Bede. It was completely unfair how he made her feel- he was gorgeous and adorable at the same time, great with kids and skilled in the kitchen, seemingly perfect despite the flaws she knew he had. </p>
<p>He was so damn attractive in every way. </p>
<p>She huffed to herself and swallowed that thought. </p>
<p><em>This isn't a crush,</em> she reminded herself. <em>Stop thinking about how amazing he is and pay attention to the kids! </em></p>
<p>The fluttering in her chest refused to abate. It was a strange kind of nervousness, one that she hadn't felt before until recently, one that only occured around Bede. It made her lungs feel like they were too full of air, too light. She was weirdly self conscious. Overly aware of every movement, every gesture and noise Bede made, all her senses had honed in on him. </p>
<p>The space he occupied in her mind, in her heart, had grown immensely without her knowing. </p>
<p>Gloria couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. </p>
<p>Footsteps clicked up the driveway, stealing her and Bede's attention towards the front door. It swung open, and Samuel shot to his feet. </p>
<p>"Ma ma!" </p>
<p>He tottered over to his mother as she took in the surprise visitor in her house. Her eyebrows lifted curiously. </p>
<p>"Mrs Jones, this- this is Bede," Gloria said quickly. </p>
<p>"Oh, yes. I thought I recognised you!" Mrs Jones clasped her hands together as she nodded at him. She swiftly picked Samuel up and sat him against her hip, planting a kiss to the top of his brow. "You're the Fairy Gym Leader, right?" </p>
<p>Bede stood, carrying Gracie, and stepped over to Mrs Jones. He extended a hand to her politely. </p>
<p>"That's correct," he said. "It's lovely to meet you. We had no trouble with Samuel and Gracie at all- I hope you don't mind that I assisted Gloria while you were away." </p>
<p>Gloria got up and dusted herself off while Bede greeted Mrs Jones, slightly flustered by his white lie. </p>
<p>'No trouble at all' was not how she would've described the way things went before Bede arrived. </p>
<p>"I don't mind at all," Mrs Jones said. She set Samuel down and took Gracie from Bede. She smiled pleasantly, and Gloria was once again amazed at how easily Bede slipped into his Gym Leader persona. Polite, graceful and charming, he made first impressions count. </p>
<p>"My sister's husband caught the next flight back, so I was able to come home early," Mrs Jones continued, "but it looks like I didn't need to worry about these two at all."</p>
<p>Gloria beamed a smile, trying to make it as genuine as possible. Next to Bede's confidence, she felt too stiff and forced. </p>
<p>"Everything went well," Gloria said. "Gracie woke up a bit early, and had her bottle at… about eleven thirty, I think."</p>
<p>Mrs Jones nodded. "I'll make sure she has her afternoon nap, then." </p>
<p>She gave her daughter a kiss on her round cheeks, making Gracie smile. Samuel pottered around after his mother as Gloria gathered her bag and swung it over her shoulder. As foreboding as babysitting had felt when she'd first begun, she no longer wished to flee the two adorable children at a moment's notice. It had been an experience she wasn't likely to forget for some time. With Bede by her side, she felt like she could conquer anything. </p>
<p>Well, almost anything. The emotions fluttering in her gut weren't something she wanted to tackle, or acknowledge, for now. </p>
<hr/>
<p>After a quick goodbye to Mrs Jones and her two kids - Samuel whimpering when he realised they were leaving - Gloria and Bede exited the house and stepped into the streets of Wedgehurst. The lazy afternoon sun bathed them in warmth, and Gloria stretched her arms high above her head and breathed in the moment of peace. </p>
<p>"I'm glad that's over," she sighed. </p>
<p>They headed down the street, passing cozy houses adjourned with blooming gardens. In the distance, bleats from Wooloo and Dubwool filled the air. </p>
<p>"I don't know how I would've managed without you," Gloria said. She shot him a smile. "I thought you had terrible timing, calling me when you did, but it turned out to be perfect." </p>
<p>Bede stopped. "About that…" </p>
<p>Gloria turned to face him. A few feet behind her, he paused. "What is it?" </p>
<p>"The League Gala is happening the week after next." Bede held her gaze. His voice, softer than before, sent her heart racing. "Are you going with anyone?" </p>
<p>She froze, jaw hanging slightly open. Then swallowed, fumbling with her tongue to form an answer. </p>
<p>"Yes, I- I'm going with Hop," she said. </p>
<p>He looked away. "I see." </p>
<p>Gloria's heart plummeted into her churning stomach. "Why- Why do you ask?" </p>
<p>Did he not have anyone to go with? </p>
<p>Did he, perhaps, want to go with her…? </p>
<p>"I thought I'd ask in case you had forgotten about it," Bede said, shrugging. He continued walking, and passed her with quick strides. "You tend to get distracted quite easily, after all." </p>
<p>She skipped to catch up with him, and glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes as they walked. </p>
<p>"I wouldn't have forgotten about <em>that,"</em> she said.</p>
<p>Gloria let out a huff. It was foolish to think that he'd brought up the Gala for any other reason. Foolish to think he'd ask her to go with him, when he'd be attending with Ms Opal as he had last year. </p>
<p>Besides, Hop had already agreed to go with her. The strange weight in her gut persisted, despite reasoning with herself that she was being ridiculous for getting worked up over it. </p>
<p>She wondered how she would have answered if he had asked. If she hadn't been babysitting, if Samuel and Gracie hadn't been screaming their lungs out when Bede called, would he have asked her? </p>
<p>Would she have wanted him to ask? </p>
<p>She slowed, gaze following Bede as he continued on ahead for a few steps. He stopped, and turned not a moment later when he'd realised she wasn't beside him. The question in his eyes gave her no answer to the thoughts clouding her mind. She shook them off, stepped up to Bede as though she'd never left his side. </p>
<p><em>Some questions aren't meant to be asked,</em> she decided. </p>
<p>It was better this way. She already had enough to deal with- the warmth in her chest, the fluttery feeling that spread through her veins, returned as she walked beside him. She felt comfortable at his side. It felt natural, normal, to walk in amicable silence towards the station where Bede would catch a Sky Taxi to Ballonlea. The time they’d spent babysitting together had turned what could have been a disastrous and exhausting few hours into a cherished memory for her. It felt like she’d discovered some hidden nugget, a buried treasure, behind the carefully crafted walls Bede always functioned behind. He probably didn’t realise how much that meant to her, that he’d let down his guard - whether deliberately or not - and revealed another side to himself that few had ever seen. </p>
<p>It made her feel… special. Trusted. Valued, even. It reaffirmed in her mind what Bede truly was to her- a friend. He was someone she could rely on in a pinch, someone who wouldn’t judge her for her failings, for her idiosyncrasies, for the secrets she couldn’t yet voice. He may not have asked her to the gala, but she knew he would be there, and that fact alone eased the trepidation she felt towards it. </p>
<p>Gloria smiled to herself as they walked, cementing that feeling in her heart.  </p>
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